Statue of King Teti

The statue of King Teti was originally represented standing with his left leg forward. The legs are now broken and missing.

There are no inscriptions on the statue, but it almost certainly belongs to King Teti of the 6th Dynasty because it was found in the funerary temple of that king at Saqqara. The king wears the White Hedjet Crown of Upper Egypt; and the royal shendyt kilt. In each hand, he was holding a roll, symbol of power and authority.

The statue is sculpted from dark pink granite. The style of the sculpture is the typically idealistic style of the Old Kingdom, which depicted the king as being young, strong and very well built. His features are idealized, especially his eyes, which are gazing into eternity.

Teti, less commonly known as Othoes, sometimes also Tata, Atat, or Athath in outdated sources, was the first king of the 6th Dynasty of Egypt. He was buried at Saqqara. The exact length of his reign has been destroyed on the Turin King List but is believed to have been about 12 years.

Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty, ca. 2323-2291 BC. James Edward Quibell excavation, 1906-1907. Found near his pyramid at Saqqara. Now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 39103